What Educational Philosophy Sits Behind 300+ Keystone Activities Program? | HOS Foreword by Keystone’s Executive Head of School Dr. Emily McCarren

After school, students step out of their classrooms and walk into another, not to continue the same lessons but to begin something entirely anew.

Once the academic day ends, these students set off on the next part of their learning journey at Keystone Academy, through more than 300 activities in the Keystone Activities Program (KAP).

KAP is an essential part of student life and learning at Keystone. Whether it’s engineering, biology, design, debate, AI, sports, arts, or mathematics, students can explore any field they’re curious about, immersing themselves in meaningful, engaging, and enjoyable learning experiences.

Their explorations go beyond academics. These journeys involve questions about what matters in life, a deeper awareness of others, curiosity about the unfamiliar, care for the world, and a reflective search for who they are becoming. Within different KAPs, students choose their own pathways and pursue the development they hope to achieve.

In Issue 13 of The Keystone Magazine, we focus on KAP, telling stories that capture how students explore, experiment, and grow through these after-school experiences.

In this website article, we are pleased to share the foreword from Executive Head of School Dr. Emily McCarren for the issue.

As the first piece in our release for The Keystone Magazine, let us follow Dr. McCarren’s message offers a closer look at the educational philosophy behind KAP; understand how it creates a secure environment needed for deeper and more authentic learning; and see how Keystone, as a New World School, works to protect and nurture each student’s potentials so their talents can take shape and shine.

Building Mountains

How the Keystone Activities Program Expands the Meaning of Success

by Dr. Emily McCarren

From its very beginning, Keystone was conceived not as a factory for a single type of achievement, but as a landscape for discovery. This foundational belief—that education should fuel passion—finds its most vibrant and dynamic expression in our Keystone Activities Program (KAP). The ethos of this program was one of the most innovative elements of Keystone’s founding educational vision, and one that year over year draws a rare kind of teacher to our school.

My favorite memories of my quarter-century as an educator are grounded in life beyond the classroom. The strongest relationships I have built with students were the ones who I taught and coached, lived in the dorm with, or advised their senior projects. This multi-dimensionality improves the quality of classroom teaching and learning; it builds the types of relationships in a school that strengthen our identity as a learning community, as described in the design principle of our “second keystone”, which is about character and community. Our over 300 activities (85 of which are student-led this year) are not “extra” as some schools call them—they are core. They are what set Keystone apart.

Within the pages of this magazine, you will catch a glimpse of the vast ecosystem of opportunities that the Keystone Activities Program provides. In our 12th year, this program features well-trod pathways, like our ever-improving sports teams and renowned arts ensembles, alongside nascent clubs born from a single student’s curiosity. The true magic of KAP, however, lies in how our students mix and match these experiences to design their unique journeys. As interests evolve, some activities sunset while others take root, often leaving a legacy that shapes students’ experiences for years to come. In this way, KAP is a living, breathing entity, continually renewed by the most important voices in our school: the students themselves.

But KAP is more than just a list of options; it is the highest expression of Keystone’s commitment to a broad definition of success. It is the practical answer to a critical question: How do we help students discover what truly ignites and inspires them?

This commitment is vital for two profound reasons. It prepares our students to be the innovative, multifaceted problem-solvers our world needs, and, just as importantly, it acts as a critical protective factor for their own well-being. When success is not a narrow target, the fear of failure diminishes. This freedom from constant comparison, just by the sheer fact that there are limitless pathways here, reduces anxiety and creates the psychological safety necessary for deep, authentic learning to flourish.

This question of how to discover pathways that ignite passion and inspiration is not a new question for us. Our founding head of school, Malcolm McKenzie, wrote in a 2017 letter to the community:

At Keystone, we encourage a wide range of academic interests, and we try to undermine any attitude that regards some as inherently more important than others [...] We focus as much as we can on assessment for learning, rather than assessment of learning only.

He regularly urged students to pursue what they really want, rather than settling for external expectations.

This philosophy is woven into Keystone’s DNA. We are not a school that honors one type of excellence. Here, a student’s growth is not about racing to the top of a single, narrow ladder. Instead, our students are builders. Like tectonic plates shaping new landscapes, they are not climbing to a prescribed peak; they are building the very mountain range they and subsequent generations will inhabit. Each effort and collaboration adds another layer to this unique landscape of our school, and the impact expands far beyond our gates.

The role of teachers in this ecosystem is to be architects of this potential. As former Dean of Students & Faculty Kelli Sanchez always said, we must always “figure out how to say ‘yes’ to kids”.

This philosophy pulses through our campus daily. Especially between 3:30 PM and 5:30 PM, and often into the evenings and weekends, the energy on campus expands exponentially as teachers and students find ways to say ‘yes’ to their most exciting ideas. Few schools in the world can match the depth of engagement or the sheer range of opportunities found here.

This is not optional for us; it is core to our mission. When every child finds a way to reach their highest potential through a unique combination of experiences, we know we are fulfilling our promise as a New World School. We are protecting our students’ limitless potential from the pernicious pressure of a narrow definition of success, and we are delivering on our promise to cultivate unique talents. Their future lives of service and excellence will have an immeasurable impact on a peaceful and prosperous future for our planet.

It is in these moments at the edges of what we sometimes consider the boundaries of school—a bus ride home from a soccer match; students teaching their foreign-born teachers Mandarin after school; sipping from a water bottle on a mountain peak after wondering if you could really make it—that enduring memories are forged, making all the learning meaningful.

Reading through the stories in this magazine, you will see the philosophy of Keystone’s educational model in action. You will see the countless ways our students sparkle and shine. We believe there is enough light for every one of them, and we know the world will be a brighter, more innovative place because they have the space to find their own brightness, as they embody their unique definition of success.